Refrigerator cold saver



Aug.. 16, 1938. G. ADAMS 2,127,379

REFRIGERATOR COLD SVR F11/ed April 14, 195e;

/ INVENTOR w i Gle/@LEV ADA/ws Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITEDREFRIGERATOR @ULD SAVER Gridley Adams,

Application April 14,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the conservation of the cold, that is the coldas represented bythe cold air in a refrigerator, and more particularlythe general type of household refrigerators as now in very general use.It applies to automatic refrigerators of the various now well knowntypes as well as refrigerators in which ice is'placed.

More particularly, among the objects of the invention are to prevent theout-flow of cold air when the main refrigerator door is opened for thepurpose of inserting or extracting the usual articles which arefrigerator is intended to preserve by means of low temperatures, andfor which purpose exists the refrigerator with a completely insulatedcompartment or compartments, with a substantially airtight door foringress. In this respect the matter of my invention is with due :.regardto the fact that when the door is opened the cold air flows out at thebottom, and warm air flows in at the top, and thereby immediatelynegatives the effectiveness of'the refrigerator by a loss represented bythe necessity of additional power for the automatic refrigertors, but inaddition causes more or less frequent changes in the temperature of thecontents, and thereby may cause 'a spoilage of said contents with asubstantial but indeterminate loss.

Heretofore attempts have been made in various ways, to'rninimize theeffect of opening the door, but in all cases known to applicant they areeither expensive, complicated and inconvenient, and in all cases cannotbe effective or pracf y tical-in the manner and as compared with theresults accomplished by applicants invention. Nor can any such priorsuggestion be universally applied to otherwise complete and finishedrefrigerators, nor readily installed.

Furthermore, applicant provides an article as a separate structure whichmay be inserted in all existing refrigerators. As an article ofmanufacture, it provides a simple device that by nothing more thanslight muscular effort may be in-` serted and become immediatelyeffective for the purpose intended. Likewise, it may be readily removedfor cleanliness, replacement, adjustment -or repair. v

In general, the invention provides for a shiftable screen or curtaincarried on a base at the bottom of therefrigerator opening, with meansfor' practically locking it at the extreme bottom just inside the dooropening, with means permitting the raising ofthe screen and holding itat predetermined desired heightsal1 together substantially sealing thelowest portion'of the refrigerator chamber to prevent the out-flow ofWeehawken, N. l'. i

i936, Serial No. 74,386

(Cl. S12-490) cold air from the bottomwhen the main airtight door isopened. Sealing the front of the refrigerator chamber in this manner atthe bottom, and upward to a height at the desire of the user, effectsthe saving of the cold air which relatively concentrates ln the lowerportion of the chamber,l and thereby likewise prevents the room air of ahigher temperature affecting the volume of cold air at the bottom. Itpermits a momentary lowering of the screen or shield with one hand,while removing material from the refrigerator with the other hand, as aquick operation with a time-element that deters and substantialf lyprevents any1 loss of the cold air from the refrigerator even from thetop, that is the momentarily uncovered front near the upper portion,while at all times sealing the bottom which is Ythe portion of therefrigerator from which the cold air under present conditions ofrefrigerators spills out immediately when the main door is opened, andsyphons the hot air in at the top.

In particular, the utility of this invention is to at all times retainsubstantially all of the cold air in a refrigerator below the top of ahorizontal curtain or screen, at whatever height or position suchhorizontal curtain may be maintained, being sealed at the bottom as toair movement, or as the screen may be temporarily lowered for purposesof removal from, or placing in the refrigerator products on shelves oron the level above the top of the screenwhen in predetermined position.

The refrigerating element in nearly every refrigerator is at the top,because the cooler air falls to the lower stratum. If placed at the bot#tom, the warm air syphoned at the top when the door is opened wouldrequire longer to be chilled, and hence the coldest air: in anyrefrigerator chamber is at the bottom and is therefore the first tospill out when the door is opened in` the heretofore existing types. Theinvention herein'involved is to substantially seal from the bottom allpossible outward flow and loss of the cold air whenever the main door isopened, and at the same time give practical access progres- Cil sivelyfrom the top by means of quick and conl vlenient lowering of thehorizontal closure, whenever the vertical closure, namely, the main doorhas been opened.

, My invention will be more fully understood from the particularembodiments shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. I is a typical `refrigerator or ice box, 'showing the door' openandthe equipment embodying my invention in place at the bottom of theopening and in a position extended part way up.

Fig. II is the device removed from the refrigerator showing the completestructure adapted as an article to be inserted in standard ice boxes.

Fig. III is a plan view on section III-III of Fig. I, showing the devicewhen installed in an ice box.

Fig. IV is an end view of Fig. II showing a form of mounting of thescreen for functioning, as hereinafter described.

Fig. V is a similar end view with the parts slightly modified inconstruction.

Fig. VI is an end view of a modified form of a Screen.

In an ice box such as the insulated casing with walls A, top and bottomB-C, a door D with its periphery beveled in the usual manner providesfor theregular sealing. While varied in many respects in differentrefrigerators, a plurality of shelves involve cross-members E-E--E asthe front of the shelves or sections to support the material to berefrigerated.

The cold-saver comprises the base I to support a screen 2, which in thepreferred form is carried on a roller 3 supported by brackets 4. I'heroller may be of conventional spring-retracting type, and may beremovable from its brackets in the usual manner. I prefer to use atransparent screen, and have found that suitable Celluloid or likematerial provides for the necessary flexibility, and at the same timethe toughness and durability desired for the purpose of this invention.

The base I has a slightly yielding means 5 at cach end, which may be arubber strip permanently secured to the end of the base I, and ofsuitable dimension and yield to permit the base with its cushion end tobe forced into a locking position with the sides of the chamber of therefrigerator, and to hold it in locked position against any strainsincident to the functioning of the device. The mechanism therefore wouldbe as shown in Fig. III, with the base I and its cushion ends 5 firmlylocked in position against opposite interior walls of the box, and withthe curtain or shield 2 at the outermost portion in close proximity tothe inner surface of the door. As thus positioned, the curtain and itsbase present practically no interferencewith the insertion of materialin the bottom of the refrigerator, and none whatsoever with theinsertion on all of the shelves, that is when it is lowered to permitaccess to any of the shelves.

'I'he top of the curtain is preferably provided with a stiff bar 6 orequivalent means, with two or more suitably spaced hooks I-l adapted toengage the outermost member at the front edge of any shelf or grid ofthe ice box.- A central handle 8 provides for the manipulation of thecurtain, that is to pull it up against resistance of the spring tensionin the roller and hook it into place at the height desired, andconversely to remove it from the raised position and to allow it toretract downward to the extent desired. Should the cold-saving screen belowered to the bottom, I may provide a shield S which prevents thehandle 8 from dropping outward where it would otherwise interfere withthe door. Y

In order to prevent cold'air from passing between the shield roller andthe base, I provide means for engaging the shield as it unrolls which,

as shown, in one form is a strip III of light springy metal secured tothe base I on its inner edge, and so formed as to, and of material thatwill, exert a .ight spring pressure against the screen portion wound onthe roller. In Fig. V, this cold-lock is shown extending over the top ofthe roller in order to prevent any accidental drippings of material fromlodging between the upper -bend and the rolled-up portion of the screen.Such arrangement of protective strip or cold-lock I I may cooperate withthe protecting strip 9, and thereby provide for the movement of thescreen 2 in the outermost position close to the door inner surface, atall times, in addition to preventing any drippings from lodging in thedevice, and thereby avoiding any chance of unsanitary conditions.

While the screen may be of any material, I prefer a transparent curtainfor convenience of observing the contents on all shelves, as well asassuring the opportunity at all times of thorough inspection.

In the modified form shown in Fig. VI, the base Ia is to be secured atthe bottom of the refrigerator just inside the door opening, but theform of curtain here shown is a series of panels I2--I2-I2, havingsuccessively end-engaging clips I3 on one side, and I3a on the otherside, or the other edge of alternate strips so constructed and arrangedthat when raising the top strip by handle 8a, the successive strips orplates slide with snug surface engagement one over the other to thelimit necessary for the application of the hooks .1, to the desiredposition to temporarily maintain the telescoping multi-sheet screen inits desired position to form an effectively airtight screen. Whenlowered, all of the sheets or plates may rest on thebase I n to a heightof the predetermined convenient maximum breadth of sheet. Whileapplicable in certain cases, I do not find that for universal use itsfunctioning would be as satisfactory, and it would usually limit theaccessibility to the bottom space or to the floor of the refrigerator.however, may be made of glass sections or other suitable material, andas just stated would in certain forms of construction be applicable, andin any event provide a seal at the bottom and from the bottom of therefrigerator up, to accomplish the main purposes of my invention.

It Will be noted that the device as shown and described, is a unitrequiring no mechanical operation on any portion of any standardrefrigerator, in connection with its insertion, and involves simplicityof construction for its regular functioning, as well as ultra-simplicityin the equipping of a refrigerator with the device. Likewise, readyremoval is permitted, when desired, for complete cleansing if needed, orfor repair or replacement, at all times, and without in any way injuringany portion of the refrigerator.

In the form herewith illustrated, the essential parts and theirrelations are shown, but it will be understood that dimensions may bevaried,A

as well as material, to suit different cases. For example, as shown inFig. III, the lateral edges of the screen overlap the lateral edges ofthe aperture and will therefore cling, with slight air pressure, `to theinner surface of the reentrant wall at the front of the refrigerator,but this overlap may be greater by making the supports of the rollerthin, and, furthermore, the cold lock strip I0 or II may extend close tothe side walls of the refrigerator, and may even overhang the bracketsof the roller, leaving only a small clearance to accommodate thecompression of the end cushions 5, during insertion. Dimensions may bevaried in other ways to insure the least possible space for the passageof air at or near the bottom and along the sides of the curtain, all

Such a laminated screenl aimera with the combination of the essentialelements as hereinbefore described, and functioning to substantiallyhold the cold air which, on any normal pressure when the door is opened,would tend to pressthe edges of the screen into sealed contact with theadjacent inner surface of the refrigerator chamber.

While this invention provides for an article of manufacture that isreadily attachable or detachable, for the purposes, and may be readilymade in forms and sizes to suit standard constructions, and therebyreadily apply to all existing refrigerators in' use, it essentiallyprovides in combination with a regular sealing and insulated verticaldoor, an inner horizontal door or closure sealed at the bottom, andadjustable as to height for accomplishing the very advantageous resultsas heretofore described.

While I have herein shown and described particular forms of myinvention, in the manufacture and practical adaptation for use manyvariations may be made as to dimensions, material,

design and otherwise, Without departing from the spirit of my invention,but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination in a refrigerator, an access opening, an insulateddoor. a vertically movable transparent screen at the inner side of theaccess opening, a roller therefor, means for supporting the screen andattaching it to the refrigerator, means attached to said supportingmeans for engaging the rolled screen at its inner side and preventingthe outow of cold air at the bottom of the screen, and means forattaching thescreen at its top to the front edge of a shelf or likestationary fixture in the refrigerator.

2. In a refrigerator, an access opening, an out- Wardly'swinginginsulating closure therefor, an

inner closure adjacent said access opening, a shelf or like stationaryfitment inside and adjacent to said inner closure, said inner closureincluding a vertically movable screen associated with means of supportand attachment to the interior of the refrigeratonmeans attached to saidrst means for engagement with the screen and preventing outflow of coldair at the-bottom of the screen, and means for attachment of the screenat its top to said stationary tment in the refrigerator.

3. In a refrigerator, an access opening, a vertically movable screenpositioned and serving to close the access opening at its inner side,means for support 'and attachment of said screen to the refrigerator,means to attach the top of said screen to a xed fitment in saidrefrigerator at predetermined elevations, and means attached `to saidsupporting means engaging said screen at its bottom and preventingoutflow of air from v to the vertically movable screen.

5. An article of manufacture for installation in a refrigerator toprevent cold air from flowing out from the bottom of the refrigerator,consisting of a vertically movable transparent screen, means to supportthe same and providing ready lattachment and detachment of the screenfrom a refrigerator, means attached to said supporting means at theinner side for cooperation with the bottom of the screen in allpositions of vertical movement of the screen for preventing outflow ofcold air at the bottom of the screen, and means for attachment of saidscreen to hold the top ofthe same at predetermined elevations.

GRIDLEY ADAMS.-

